Outcast/Chapter 15
Chapter description :Lionpaw and Hollypaw gaze down at the lake and Clan territories together, and Lionpaw is excited for the journey ahead of him. He complains about having to wait, but his sister reminds him that Brambleclaw told them that they must rest. Lionpaw is unhappy with sitting around, but Hollypaw explains that the traveling herbs are what's giving him energy. She adds that the mountains won't go away, then turns and begins to stalk towards a gorse bush, alert for signs of prey. :Lionpaw's paws are sore from climbing up the ridge, but he is eager to continue traveling. Ahead of him are dark forests, with flat green grass beyond it, with scattered Twoleg nests and Thunderpaths. Lionpaw bounds over to the highest part of the ridge, and with the wind flattening his fur, he feels as powerful as a LionClan warrior. He notices how small everything looks from far up, and the young tom thinks that he could do anything. Lionpaw wonders if the others also feel this way, but upon looking down and seeing them dozing below him, he guesses that they don't. Lionpaw listens and looks for Tigerstar's voice and dark tabby shape, but there is no trace of the former leader. :Just then, Brambleclaw calls to Lionpaw, causing the young cat to jump. The others had finished resting and are getting to their paws, and Lionpaw leaps down from the outcrop to join them. Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, and Crowfeather take the lead, and reminisce in memories from the Great Journey and how close the Clans were back then. Crowfeather wistfully points out that the Clans have to be rivals, which makes Lionpaw think sadly of Heatherpaw. The golden apprentice guesses that the warriors all miss their friendships they forged on their journeys. :Now, Lionpaw can no longer see his home and is daunted by the vast unknown territory ahead. He is relieved that the older cats seem to know the way and is embarrassed at how powerful and confident he had felt on the hilltop. Brambleclaw calls to them to move faster, but Lionpaw's paws are dragging and he is hungry and tired. Squirrelflight pads up to him with a mouse hanging from her jaws and drops it at his paws, instructing him to eat quickly. Lionpaw touches his nose gratefully to her shoulder and thanks her, and Squirrelflight jokes that she was tired of hearing his growling belly. The she-cat runs ahead to join Brambleclaw while Lionpaw quickly wolfs down the mouse. :By the time Lionpaw is done, his companions are out of sight, but he follows their voices and soon catches up the them. He now feels stronger and bounds up to Brambleclaw. The deputy asks Talon about the invading cats, but the Tribe cat vaguely replies that there are too many of them. Brambleclaw twitches his ears, and Lionpaw guesses that the brown tabby didn't find Talon's answer helpful for planning what to do when they reached the mountains. The warrior questions if they have done patrols yet, but Talon retorts that they aren't Clan cats and want help, not to be bossed around. Night soothes her Tribemate that Brambleclaw is only trying to find out how to help, so the cage-guard lets his fur lay flat and nods to Brambleclaw in apology. He explains that they have never had to set boundaries before and just decided to chose rocks around their cave to set up guards to watch for the intruders. :Bored with listening to the strategy talk, Lionpaw lets his father and the others go ahead, and he waits for his littermates to catch up. He notes to them that the Tribe cats seem tense, and recalls how Talon had gotten irritated with Brambleclaw. Hollypaw guesses that it is because Stoneteller doesn't know about their plans and might be angry when the Clan cats show up in his territory. Lionpaw is outraged at this thought, and he exclaims that the Healer should be grateful. Hollypaw snorts that it might hurt his pride, as leaders should be able to handle their own problems without outside help. Jaypaw curiously asks Hollypaw what she would do if she were Stoneteller, and his sister pauses briefly before replying that she would create borders and make sure they were regularly patrolled. She adds that she would teach all of her cats to fight, but Jaypaw disagrees that she is thinking like a Clan cat, and that the Tribe is different and he isn't sure if they should change it. Lionpaw argues that they should if the Tribe will be driven out of their home and starve, and he says that they will teach the Tribe the warrior code. :The cats come to the edge of the forest as the sun sets; ahead, Lionpaw can see a stretch of grass sloping down into a narrow valley, with trees on the far side, and mountains farther beyond. Brambleclaw announces that they will stop here for the night, but before he is done speaking, Crowfeather and Breezepaw break away from the group and race across the grass. The rabbit they are chasing breaks for cover, but the two WindClan cats separate, and as it dodges away from Crowfeather, it runs to Breezepaw, who catches it. The two toms come back and settle down to share their prey. :Lionpaw turns to the woodland and finds a mouse scrabbling by a bramble thicket. He leaps at the little creature, but as he sinks his claws into it, a tendril of bramble wraps around his shoulders. Lionpaw pulls away, embarrassed at the clumsy kill, and pads back to the edge of the trees. Hollypaw and Jaypaw are already eating, and the former wishes they could stay there longer, as there is a lot of prey. Jaypaw bluntly states that they can't, and points out how Talon and Night would be unhappy if they did. The two Tribe cats had finished eating and try to settle down for the night between two tree roots, but they are turning around uneasily, as if uncomfortable. When an owl hoots, Night stiffens and questions what it is. Brook comforts her Tribemate that it was only an owl, and that Squirrelflight and Stormfur will keep watch. Talon complains that he would rather be in the open, where he could see potential predators, and Brook promises that they will be soon. :Lionpaw curls up with his littermates in a nest of long grass, feeling comfortable, warm, and full, and he begins to fall asleep. However, his ears prick as he hears Breezepaw's voice, coming from a dip in the ground just beyond the tree branches. He complains why they are helping the Tribe cats, and Crowfeather murmurs that Feathertail sacrificed herself for Sharptooth, so they must help the Tribe to make sure she didn't die for nothing. The black apprentice objects that the Clans seemed to have helped them enough already, but his father sighs that Breezepaw will never understand loyalty. Lionpaw is confused at why Crowfeather would be especially loyal to Feathertail, a RiverClan cat, but he falls back asleep, thinking that there are many things he finds hard to understand. :Early the next morning, Brambleclaw prods Lionpaw awake with a paw and silently warns him to be quiet. Beside him, Jaypaw and Hollypaw crouch down, bristling, and their father murmurs that there is another cat nearby. The other cats are all ready for a fight, though the forest and hillside seem peaceful. Lionpaw tastes the air and though it takes him some time, he exclaims that it's a kittypet and that he isn't afraid of it. Brambleclaw silences him and warns that they might have strayed into the kittypet's territory, and they don't want to fight. Hollypaw mews that it would probably run away at just the sight of their teeth, but Squirelflight warns that she has known kittypets who could fight and that being wounded out here would be problematic. :Lionpaw stiffens as he hears the undergrowth rustle, and a plump tabby tom steps out of a clump of bracken. His fur is rumpled and covered with burrs, and his muzzle is gray with age. The kittypet stares and the journeying cats, and Brambleclaw stares back in shock. Squirrelflight bounces on her paws and cries out a welcome for Purdy. Characters Major }} Minor *Brambleclaw *Jaypaw *Tawnypelt *Squirrelflight *Crowfeather *Talon *Night *Brook *Purdy }} Mentioned *Tallpoppy *Applekit (Unnamed) *Toadkit (Unnamed) *Marshkit (Unnamed) *Ferncloud *Heatherpaw *Stoneteller *Firestar *Stormfur *Feathertail *Sharptooth }} Notes and references Category:Power of Three arc Category:Outcast Category:Chapter subpages